Becoming Teague
by Cause I'm Freaken Awesome
Summary: This is a story of a teenager by the name Edward Teague who would eventually become the most infamous pirate of his time. REWRITE


It was a cool night in Shipwreck Island as a teenager snuck out of his home. He had only the clothes on his back, an old cutlass, and a sack. Following the light of the crescent moon, he made his way to the docks to a small boat. As quickly as he could, he untied the boat and jumped on. He rowed the boat with an oar out away from the docks and, eventually out of the harbor.

He had a plan that, at the time, seemed to be foolproof. He had met a man who offered passage to Tortuga. All he needed to do was to pay him up front and meet him at a certain patch of sand at midnight.

It was almost midnight when the teenager reached that island. There were no signs of a ship approaching from anywhere.

Anxiously, the teenager sat in the boat, waiting. He watched the horizon all around him for something to appear. The only thing that broke the horizon was the small chain of islands he had just come from.

It wasn't until sunrise, when the sky had started to lighten, that the teenager would accept that he had been tricked. He had been tricked out of all the money he had. Now he sat in a boat with nowhere to go but back. He could only go back home, where his father would be waiting, ready to punish him however he saw fit…

Even if he wanted to sail any farther, his boat would not allow it. The small craft was built for fishing near the shore. It would not stand a chance against a storm at sea, even when it was new. The boat was anything but new.

Sighing, the teenager leaned back in the boat, folding his hands behind his head. Surely, if he returned, there would be little chance of going back out for a long time. They may even keep him on land until no one remained but him, which could mean decades of sweeping the long, winding halls. Might as well stay out for as long as possible.

And then, as he watched the clouds roll by, a shadow came over him. The teenager sat up and found a woman standing on the little island next to his boat. He had never seen this woman before, nor had he ever seen anyone that resembled this woman. "Who are you?"

"I am Tia Dalma." She said, examining him. "Yer looking for something which cannot be found 'ere."

"I know that."

"Dat ship aint comin'."

"Thank you for telling me." He replied sarcastically, laying back down. Then he quickly sat up. "You know I'm waiting for a ship?"

"Aye. A ship for the Caribbean. Where ya plan to start a new life." Tia Dalma replied, to the teenager's shock. "I can help you get dere."

"You have a ship?" He asked, looking around. There were still no signs of any other vessel besides his old boat. How did this woman get here?

"I can get ya dere, but ye will have ta build ya own life." Tia Dalma said, sitting in the boat across from him. "I can give ya a name no one will recognize. Tis yer job ta make it infamous." She then smiled, showing her dark teeth. "For a price."

"What price?"

Tia Dalma thought for a moment. "Soon, ya will find a guitar. It'd be a cursed instrument. Ya are to bring it to me."

"Where?"

"De Pantano River is where you will find me."

The teenager nodded, thinking that this woman was crazy. Getting to the Caribbean without a ship? A cursed guitar? She had to be mad. "So, how to we get to Tortuga, Milady?"

Tia Dalma's smile grew. "Turn around."

The teenager turned around…and found himself near the entrance of a harbor. Hanging from a nearby tree from one chain on one corner, was a weatherworn sign that read "TORTUGA". As if to emphasize the point, the sign was full of bullet holes. "How…?"

He realized then that he was alone.

Minutes later, the teenager walked up the docks, fascinated by his surroundings. This small town was strangely similar to the town of Shipwreck and yet very different. Unlike his hometown, the some of the townspeople actually had jobs. There were people opening shops, doing quick repairs on whatever damage there might be. The tavern called the Faithful Bride had the worst damage, and the owner was cursing loudly as he kicked the door back in place.

Then, he ran into her. She was a teenager, probably his age. She had lightly tanned skin, long red hair that was tied back in a dark blue ribbon, and the same dark blue eyes. She was wearing a white shirt, dark blue vest, black trousers, red sash, and brown boots. Hanging from a thin leather cord around her neck was a tiny silver cross that hung just over her cleavage.

"Like what you see boy?" She asked, tugging the collar of her shirt down slightly as she smirked. His face turned red as he looked away. "Aint it pretty?"

"Yes, th… it's pretty."

"You looking for your mother Boy?" The teenage girl asked flatly. He was obviously too young for her taste. She preferred older men with bigger purses. This boy probably didn't have a purse. He definitely lacked experience with women.

"No. A friend of mine told me that a ship was signing on crew."

She looked at him again, before laughing. She was still laughing as she walked away. Apparently, it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"You're looking for the Valkyrie." Another teenage girl told him. She was very plain, suntanned skin, plain brown eyes, dark brown hair. Nothing special. She pointed back to where she came from. "You go down that road. You'll see the Nest."

The teenage boy stopped at the end of the road, staring at the strange inn. It was a large building, one of the few he had seen with two floors. The sign was hung over the door with some rope. The sign had the words "SPARROW'S NEST" painted in bright red paint. He couldn't help but to notice the bullet holes in the sign and on the door under it and the wall behind it.

Minutes later, the teenager walked up to a man sitting at a table. From what Tia Dalma had told him, this man was gathering a crew for a ship. The Valkyrie, captained by a man named Michael Barbossa, was to cast off the next morning. At this table sat the first mate and a young boy.

"I'd like to join the crew." The teenager announced.

The man glanced at him. "Aint ya too young?" The man asked.

"Isn't he too young?" The teenager asked, gesturing toward the boy. The child had yet to look away from the other pirates he had been watching, while eating a green apple.

"It aint none ya business, but this here's the Captain's boy."

"Why's he here and not with his Da?"

"The Captain's a busy man. It'd be my job to watch him."

"I could watch him." The teenager offered.

The man looked back at the teenager. "What's your name?"

The teenager smirked, remembering the name Tia Dalma had given him before she left. It was a name that no one knew. A name he was to make infamous. "Edward Teague."

* * *

**I'm rewriting this story mostly because I like writing about Teague. Plus, I had a really good storyline for this but the problem was actually getting to that plot...**

**Also, one of my biggest problems with this story was recently solved so...yeah...**


End file.
